Technology

Harvard Research on kids to kick off Kidscreen Summit 2017

05 Jan, 2017 - 08:46 AM IST | By indiantelevision.com Team

TORONTO: Kidscreen is thrilled to announce that Dr. Richard Weissbourd, director of the Human Development and Psychology programme at Harvard University, will open 2017’s biggest event for leaders in children’s entertainment with the presentation of a new research study exploring why and how we are unconsciously undermining the development of empathy and caring in today’s kids.

In the current socio-economic climate, where tolerance and understanding seem to be in short supply, it’s more important than ever to help kids develop these skills. So join us and find out how kids TV producers and media platforms can help children and parents learn to care for others—and also what kinds of messages and content strategies are important for counteracting the nastiness, scapegoating and incivility that seems to be pervading our culture right now.

The full conference programme for Kidscreen Summit 2017is now available online (http://summit.kidscreen.com/2017/agenda/), and it’s chock-full of keynotes, panel discussions, presentations, debates and networking/pitching formats. Here are just a few highlights:

Emotional Scheduling: How kids are organizing their own media lives

Kids today are accustomed to having access to what they want, whenever they want it. But as it turns out, programming schedules still make sense to them, and they organize their media lives around factors like where they are, who they’re with, and what they’ve been doing or are about to do. Dubit’s David Kleeman discusses this new concept of “emotional scheduling,” which is critical to driving discovery and retention for anyone creating media for children.

From Toys-to-Life to Life on Netflix: A Skylanders Academy case study

Activision Blizzard’s Skylanders almost single-handedly created the US$4-billion toys-to-life category. And tasked with bringing the bestselling video game franchise to TVs around the globe, content arm Activision Blizzard Studios scored a worldwide deal with Netflix for Skylanders Academy, created by showrunner Eric Rogers (Futurama). In this session, the creative team behind the show will delve into its adaptation process and what we can expect to see next.

Little Big Kids: Preschoolers ready for life

Viacom recently undertook a huge global study of preschoolers—an adventure spanning 12 countries, 6,500 families, social media diaries and in-depth ethnographies—to find out what it means to be under six years old today. Christian Kurz, the company’s SVP of Research, Insight and Reporting, will for the first time unveil these latest findings on our youngest generation. And as an added bonus, real preschoolers—equipped with GoPro cameras—will give you a glimpse into their world.

Surviving, Scaling and Making Money in the Kids Digital Space

Is there a way to create and deliver fun, engaging and strictly regulated digital content to this generation of kids, but also build market share, profits and long-term brand loyalty at the same time? In this fireside chat, Jeff Imberman, CRO of kids ad platform SuperAwesome—and former SVP of Sales and Marketing at Nickelodeon—will answer this critical question and show how the kids digital ecosystem is something to be embraced, not feared. He’ll also divulge how the under-13 audience is already telling brands and content creators what they want—delivering success is just a matter of really listening to them.

Set to run from February 13 to 16 next month, Kidscreen Summit 2017 will once again take place at the InterContinental Miami, a contemporary luxury hotel located on prime waterfront in downtown Miami, and just minutes away from South Beach, the Design District, Coconut Grove’s bohemian village, and the many galleries, restaurants and boutique shops in Coral Gables.

In 2016, the event welcomed nearly 1,800 attendees from more than 50 countries around the world, including more than 450 kids programming buyers and investors looking for new content and partners. Its unique positioning as a conference AND a market lets delegates customize their Summit experience to suit their goals and priorities. Offering an unparalleled conference programme and networking opportunities, the event is the perfect place to learn about the latest trends, issues and opportunities and connect with the industry’s top decision-makers.